TWC News Remembers Raleigh Sports Director Jim Connors

By Donna WaltonUpdated Monday, November 30, 2015 at 08:24 AM EST

Time Warner Cable News Chief Photographer Mark Barger captures the spirit and true essence of Jim Connors in a special tribute to his legacy and Charlotte Sports Director Mike Solarte pays homage to his Sports Night partner, colleague and friend.

Time Warner Cable News is mourning the loss of one of our own. It is
with great sadness we report the passing of our Raleigh Sports
Director, Jim Connors.

Connors passed away Saturday after a short and sudden illness at the
age of 51.

He was the Sports Director in our Raleigh newsroom and co-host of
Sports Night.

As a seasoned sportscaster, he has anchored sportscasts in
Winston-Salem and New Bern as well as Bluefield, West Virginia, and
Billings, Montana, before joining Time Warner Cable News in 2002. He
was part of the team who helped us launch News 14 Carolina.

Jim had passion for North Carolina sports, having already worked
extensively with Duke, Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest. On the pro
side, he tackled the Panthers, Hornets and Hurricanes. He covered
racing events in Daytona, Charlotte and numerous small tracks around
the state. He is a nine time North Carolina Associated Press award
winner who relished the opportunity to live and work in the Triangle
(“if all goes well I would love for my children to grow up here”), and
to direct a sports department that- in addition to covering the
state’s major college and professional sports- gives priority
attention to small colleges, high schools, and occasionally your
neighborhood little league and soccer team.

His accomplishments range from anchoring our coverage of Final Fours
and U.S. Opens to reporting from the sidelines of the state high
school football and basketball championships.

Accomplishments and accolades aside, Jim had a great sense of humor
and was known as a bit of a prankster around the newsroom. A couple of
his coworkers were on the receiving end of one particular prank after
Jim's Philadelphia Eagles played the Dallas Cowboys. Jim decorated
Senior Media Editor Eric Jackson and News Anchor Anthony Austin’s
desks accordingly (see: photo gallery).

“Having worked every night with Jim, my heart aches for his family.
Jim was the consummate pro, and it was an honor to work alongside
him. Our product will not be the same without him, but his influence
will never fade. I lost a colleague on Saturday, but more than that,
I lost a friend. My heartfelt condolences to the Raleigh newsroom,
but more so to Jim's family,”Mike Solarte, Director, TWC
Sports Charlotte

“I feel extremely fortunate to have had the privilege of working
with Jim for more than eight years. I know firsthand how willing he
was to help a colleague in need, no matter what the circumstances.
In addition, he developed great relationships with those he covered,
was never afraid to ask a tough question, and always had a knack for
lightening the mood with a well-timed joke. This place will never
be the same without him, but we honor Jim with the professionalism
and diligence we display on a daily basis. As conscientious as he
was about his work, he was even more passionate about his family.
For those of you who don't know, Jim leaves behind a wonderful wife
and two marvelous teenage children. Please keep them in your
prayers,”Ryan Welch, TWC Sports

“Very few people know this but Jimmy and his family live just about
5 miles down the road from me and from time to time he would
randomly show up at my house with a six pack. He used to love
sitting on my back screened in porch and we would finish the six
pack and talk through all of life's challenges. We would rarely
even talk about work. He also used to have an uncanny ability to do
it on days we had family or friends coming over shortly after which
would lead to me in a sprint to get the kids and house ready for our
guests once he headed home. We were never upset about it we just
used to laugh he always randomly picked those days. So it is
fitting that today I have family at my house and we are busy working
in the yard. I would give anything to have Jimmy show up with a six
pack to talk life. Just thought I would share a wonderful side of
Jim from his personal life. Eagles/Cowboys weeks at work will never
be the same. Rest in peace my friend,”Tim Boyum, Capital
Tonight Anchor

“My prayers for Jim's beautiful family and friends. He means so
much to me and my family.

My father passed away in August. I came into his room at the
hospice facility and a relative told me about a coworker that
stopped by. She was gushing about this man who spent time talking to
my dad as if he was awake and responsive, updating him on ECU
football and praying with my dad. She said "That man thinks so
much of you." He never told me he was going to visit.

I thanked him every chance I got. He came to the funeral and used
his warmth and charm to make so many of us feel better. The sports
fans were thrilled and touched.”Jon Champion, TWC News Producer

"Jim's office was right across from my desk. When he found out
I was a Dallas Cowboys fan....I would come in on a regular basis to
find all kinds of "decorations" on my desk. He was a
Philadelphia Eagles fan and he always made sure I knew it. His death
was sudden and unexpected. He was always extremely kind to me. My
last conversation with him was in the parking lot about life and the
future. I didn't know that would be the last time I would talk to
him. We will all miss him at Time Warner Cable News. Our prayers go
out to the Connors family,"Anthony Austin, TWC News Anchor

“Jim was a great co-worker and consummate pro; however he was a
trusted friend and got me through some rough patches in my own life.
He was always there to check on me, lend an ear and a joke. With his
jovial nature, love of sports & people he did develop great
relationships with his viewers. I still have this picture
(attached) I took when I visited a local sub/bagel shop off of Hwy40
& Hwy42. I had found that Jim had befriended the owner, and
naturally they talked sports and when Jim found out the guy was a NY
fan; he told him that if they won the World Series that year against
Jim’s Phillies he’d wear their hat. The picture on the wall says
the “rest of the story”. Jim spoke at a few schools and was worried
that their DVD players may not work correctly when it came time for
him to give his presentations, so a few years ago he had me take his
DVD and put it onto the web so that he would be able to access it if
needed. I leave you with this video as a
tribute. My heartfelt condolences to the TWCN-NC family, and
more importantly to Jim's family,​” Jack Horn, Creative Producer for TWC News

"It's been a very hard few days me. Our newsroom family lost a
very funny, loving, caring member of our newsroom. A man that took
a 20 year old in and showed him the ropes about being a sports
anchor. A man that would tell you a joke and give you a love tap in
the arm at the same time. A man that thought enough of me to
introduce me to sport figures I would not have ever met on my own.
A man that told me to spend as much time with your family as much as
you can because this business will take you away from them at times.
A man that loved the Eagles and made sure he reminded me every day
during football season. A man that I will miss everyday calling me
"Eazy E." JC thank you for everything, but most of all
thank you for being my friend and mentor," Eric Jackson,
Senior Media Editor for TWC News

"As I read all the wonderful things everyone has written, I
think about how I could tell you the stories of how I would accuse
Jim of ripping-off Johnny Cash when he'd wear black on Fridays. (I
would call him "The Man In Black".) I could write about
how he would over hear me tell a producer that we were going to have
severe weather. Then he'd look at me and ask if I was going to
allow him to do Sports Night that evening. Always with that big Jim
Connors smile on his face. I could tell you how when I'd bring a
tour group by the sports office, he'd tell the group that I allowed
him to be on TV because weather, and my ego, trumped everything.
Again, with a huge smile.

But the one thing I really want to say is this:We can get many
complements throughout our lives. I think the best complement comes
after we've passed. If at the end of life's journey, it is said that
the world was a better place because that person was in it, I
personally believe that is the greatest complement ever and a true
testament to that person and the impact they had during their time
on this planet. I firmly believe that this world was a better place
because Jim Connors was in it. As he touched our lives, in some
way, may be he made us a little better along the way too,"Gary Stephenson, Chief Meteorologist TWC News Raleigh

I had only been at the station for maybe two weeks and was working
nightside. It was one of the few times I boothed Sports Night
and Jim was solo. In Jim Connors fashion he was heavy. I tried to
count him out on time, and.. he stared into the camera and flipped
the IFB [earpiece] out of his ear. As I was leaving that night, so
was Jim. He told me he was getting out a little bit earlier than
normal and asked if I wanted to grab a beer. I figured he wanted to
talk to me about trying to push him out of the show, but I couldn't
have been more wrong. Instead, he wanted to know my story. Where I
had gone to school, where I had worked before News 14, why I moved
back to Raleigh from High Point, etc. He insisted to pay for my
beer and then call it a night. When we were leaving I told him I
thought he wanted to talk to me about Sports Night. His words have
gone through my head all day. He said with a laugh, " You're a
producer. You were doing your job. I'm a sports anchor. If I
don't ignore you or drive you a little crazy at least once in our
time together, then I'm not doing my job. We just got it out of the
way early."Danny Vivenzio, TWC News Producer

"Jim knew how passionate I was about learning how to improve
professionally. He would frequently call me into the sports office
late at night after his updates were taped and I had finished the 11
to show me videos displaying great shooting, writing, editing or
whatever it was that made the package "sing." Jim tricked
me several times in our late night learning. He would ask if I had a
minute to watch a great video. Then he showed me a clip of a
Foreigner concert. Nicely played, sir. And I can't count the
number of times he proudly showed me the pkg he and Barger did on
the band. I eventually learned to ask, "is it a Foreigner
concert Jim?" before agreeing to enter his office. Jim Connors
was a true gentleman and professional. I hope somewhere in the
heavens a angel gets hear Jim Connors booming voice
say "Tonight on Sports Night." I know I'll miss it down
here," TWC News Anchor Cheryn Stone

I personally will miss Jim walking past my desk every afternoon
saying,"Hey Jersey (pronounced JOI-ZEE)" as he walked in and
mutually ribbing each other for our choice of sports teams.

If he were to see this, he might point out I haven't mentioned his
love for the band Foreigner (with and without Lou Gramm). He even did a story on their performance in Cary, which
he was excited to show me when he learned I liked the band, too.

In addition to his Time Warner Cable News Family, Jim leaves behind
his wife, Kim, and two teenage children.

Jim's funeral was held on Saturday, November 28th at Saint Ann's
Catholic Church located in Clayton. You can watch the full video of
the service here.